Matthew 25.34
“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”
Through Christ, we are heirs of the kingdom of God. That means we inherit the blessings of the kingdom. It also means we inherit the responsibilities of the kingdom. In addition to what we have been reading in Galatians 4, here are additional verses that tell us we are heirs of the kingdom:
“Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him?” (James 2.5)
“And if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.” (Romans 8.17)
“And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.“ (Acts 20.32)
Unfortunately, it is popular with some preachers to proclaim the blessings of the kingdom without the responsibilities. I recently listened to several sermons from an immensely popular TV preacher (who now has his own Sirius station), and he communicated a constant, non-stop message of “blessing.” Message after message was the same thing: God will bless you. Trust God and you will have comfort and convenience. Health and wealth. Personal peace and happiness. Everything is going to be OK because God is going to take care of you. This preacher even declared that year would be the year his listeners would “fulfill their destiny.”
There was no challenge to repent. No confession of sin. No call to do the hard work of stewardship. No acknowledgement of the realities and challenges of life in a fallen world. No equipping for the spiritual battle we must fight every day. No process or discipline for spiritual growth.
What the guy proclaimed was spiritual malpractice.
Adding insult to bad theology, this pseudo-ministry receives tens of millions of dollars from people who listen on the radio, watch on TV, or attend services at its NBA-style arena. The donations are tax-deductible for those that give, and tax-free for the preacher and his organization. He claims to speak “in the name of Jesus,” but he isn’t teaching the truth of the Bible; he is marketing and selling a product that preys on people’s insecurities and desire for hope.
And we wonder why the church has lost its credibility in today’s world.
In Christ we have been adopted into God’s family and are heirs of his kingdom. With that inheritance comes blessing and responsibility. We must not act like spoiled, self-centered children who accept the blessings of the inheritance but fail to accept the responsibilities. In closing, listen carefully to what Paul wrote to Timothy, the young pastor of the church in Ephesus:
“I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.” (2 Timothy 4:1-4)
